It's the biggest and most prestigious event on the New Zealand surf lifesaving calendar and this year, the carnival came to a sun and swell-drenched Mount Maunganui. Music: "Follow the Sun" by Xavier Rudd (xavierrudd.com) Additional GoPro footage courtesy of Mark Bourneville/Piha SLSC. courtesy Dscribe Journalism.
Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee, along with CERA chief executive Roger Sutton and CCDU director Warwick Isaacs, visit areas of the Rebuild Zone to discuss progress with business and land owners. courtesy YouTube/cerachch
Highlights from the Final event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge.
Richard Woods, Hazard Advisor for the Civil Defence and Emergency Management department of Auckland Council explains the earthquake risk for Auckland. Filmed in July 2012. courtesy AucklandCivilDefence.
Neve Landon was filming herself singing for friends when the 3.9 earthquake struck, like a true professional she finished the song...
If New Zealand get to Eden Park this week at 0-0, they'll be exceedingly happy. The cricket nation will be pleasantly surprised too after the grim forebodings of the gulf between themselves and England in test terms. Whether they do draw this test almost certainly depends on events at the Basin Reserve today, when New Zealand, following on 211 runs behind, start the fourth day at 77 for one. They are 134 runs short of making England bat a second time, and, as an old French teacher would have described it, with a job of work to do.
New Zealand know this territory well; they are pushing uphill to stay in a test well before the halfway mark. Matt Prior and Bruce Martin tell each sides tale of a fantastic day of cricket for England.
The Auckland Unitary Plan will be the rulebook that shapes the way Auckland grows, setting out what can be built and where to create a higher quality and more compact Auckland while looking after the things we value, keeping rural land productive and maintaining the marine environment. Engagement runs from 15 March to 31 May 2013. courtesy YouTube/AklCouncil
Fly-through the route of Auckland's proposed City Rail Link from Britomart to Mount Eden including the street route and proposed underground stations. courtesy YouTube/aucklandtransport
About a thousand people turned out to see the Horse of the Year parade through central Hastings today, with Olympic gold medalist Mark Todd at the lead.
The New Zealand Defence Force’s summer-season support to our country’s commitment to the pristine Antarctic region has drawn to a close with the final Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 ice flight. Around 200 Defence Force personnel directly supported the mission at various stages of the October to March season, with the mission peaking in February during the annual supply ship offload where Defence personnel worked round the clock in freezing conditions. courtesy NZ Defence force.
Lydia Jenkin talks to Sixto Rodriguez, the songwriter and subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, who is enjoying a renaissance more than 40 years after releasing his two and only albums. The Mexican-American artist plays the Wellington Opera House on March 16 and Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre on March 17. Better known as Rodriguez, the Detroit native recorded his tough folk rock debut Cold Fact in 1970 - which included his best-known song, Sugar Man - and follow-up Coming From Reality in 1971, but they never took off in his homeland. Following this lack of interest in his music he went back to renovation and restoration work to support his family, and even ran for the mayor of Detroit at one stage, while still continuing to perform on the side. However, Rodriguez' songs took hold in New Zealand, Australia, and especially in South Africa where they struck a chord at a time when many people were agitating against the apartheid regime.
It’s been an incredible journey so far for Rita Ora, the 22 year old British singer whose hit singles ‘How We Do (Party)’ and ‘R.I.P’ ft. Tinie Tempah and her latest hit 'Radioactive' have stormed the radio waves. While in Auckland for her show, she took the time to talk with Time Out's Scott Kara to discuss how her journey to stardom has been so far.
Mr Palmer and former Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder made their highly anticipated appearance before Parliament's commerce committee this afternoon to answer questions about what led to the company's near collapse under $389 million in debt. Dr Elder told the packed committee room that the company's recent problems were down to a "perfect storm" of unprecedented coal price falls last year and the strong Kiwi dollar. He said it wasn't just New Zealand coal companies that were feeling the brunt of a drop in the price of coal, but US companies were also in serious trouble. He said the situation with Solid Energy needed to be looked at within an international context. Dr Elder offered an apology to workers on the West Coast who lost their jobs.
Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler has announced there will be no change to the Official Cash Rate, which sits at a record low 2.5pc. The financial markets saw no chance the Reserve Bank would raise the official cash rate today so their focus will be on how the accompanying monetary policy statement describes the balance of risks going forward. The kiwi dollar dropped on the news.
"Nek minnit" - New Zealand skateboarder Levi Hawken challenges you to reduce usage of plastic bottles and cups for Earth Hour 2013. courtesy YouTube/earthhour
Same-sex marriage inched another step closer late last night when MPs backed it overwhelmingly at the second hurdle, with only a handful of previous supporters turning against it. Labour MP Louisa Wall's bill passed its second reading 77-44, Chris Auchinvole spoke about the social shift occurring in NZ, with only 32 per cent of marriages taking place in a church.
If New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum wins the toss at the Basin Reserve tomorrow morning he will give his bowlers first use of the ball. McCullum fronted his usual press conference on the eve of the second test against England today and offered a slightly surprising response when asked if he would bat first if he won the coin flip.
Over 2,000 spectators flocked into Gorge Road Jump Park for the second Red Bull Roast It competition. Forty five riders from around the globe all vied for the top honours, treating the crowd to a BMX dirt-riding spectacle.
The V8 Supercars will be the main curtain-raiser to the F1 cars this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix. For the all-new IRWIN Racing AMG Mercedes outfit the non-championship races in Melbourne will be critical in the development of the all new V8.
Every year the Army sends down a team of engineers to Antarctica for a two month mission supporting our neighbours over the hill at McMurdo station. The US Antarctic Programme always look forward to our troops arrival and make full use of their skills, commitment and Kiwi can do! courtesy of NZDefenceForce
A NZ First leader Winston Peters motion was passed in Parliament to correct the grave misrepresentation of the courageous and commendable role of New Zealand diplomats in the 1979 Tehran hostage crisis in the movie Argo.
A search and rescue operation near Fiji has saved the lives of four missing boaties when a Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion aircraft found their swamped vessel and guided rescuers to survivors in the water. One boatie remains missing. The Fijian Rescue Coordination Centre requested assistance from New Zealand with a search for a 28ft fibreglass skiff, with five people on board, missing off the South Coast of Fiji. A P3K Orion aircraft, Kiwi Rescue 771 (KRC771), responded departing Whenuapai Air Base for the search area, arriving and establishing on-task. Within half an hour, KRC771 located a white, swamped, open top vessel. No persons were observed on board, but an immediate search located two people in the water, with life jackets, 1000 metres from their boat. A nearby game fishing boat three nautical miles away was contacted by the RNZAF aircraft and guided to the survivor's location. They then retrieved the two survivors, and a further two survivors were also located. One person remains missing. The RNZAF Orion continued a sector search for the missing person but could not locate them before needing to return to New Zealand.
Chief Herald sports writer David Leggat and Andrew Alderson from the Herald on Sunday are covering the England series against the Black Caps and give their expert opinion on what is required for a result at the Basin Reserve.
Top Herald rugby scribes Wynne Gray and Gregor Paul take the early Super rugby form and translate it into International selection as the players look to catch the coaches eye.
Fast bowler Doug Bracewell has not recovered in time from his foot injury to be considered for the second ANZ Test against England starting in Wellington on Thursday. The 22-year-old missed the first test in Dunedin, after initially being named in the squad, and has now been ruled out of this week's Test at the Basin Reserve. The Black Caps squad of 13 named for the Dunedin test is unchanged with Ian Butler remaining in place of Bracewell. Head coach Mike Hesson said he has rewarded the squad that delivered such a strong performance against the second ranked Test side in the world.
Highlanders forward Joe Wheeler, caught in the showers at team headquarters, tells ODT rugby columnist Paul Dwyer about the funniest thing he's seen on the field, his favourite fast food, and what lies under team-mate Liam Coltman's beard.
New Zealand can consider themselves moral victors after the first test draw against England. The world's eighth ranked team exceeded expectations by dominating more than they were dominated against by the second best team. The onus goes on them to sustain that form when the second ANZ test starts in Wellington on Thursday. New Zealand have won only one series in 17 against England at home; further such history can be made.
Blues 21 Bulls 28 Blues Head Coach Sir John Kirwan said 'it was our worst performance so far this season'. But with the competition only in the early stages & with 11 points already things weren't all bad. The Blues look forward to a bye next weekend before facing the Waratahs.
The Pasifika festival began in 1992 and has become the largest Pacific festival in the world. 10 villages, over 200 food & craft stalls and with over 1500 performers to entertain, Event producer Stan Wofgramm believes its our Pacific identity which we can all relate to, which draws people to the festival every year. This years festival has expanded to two days with a church service to begin Sunday's festivities.
Firefighters contained a small scrub fire that witnesses say was deliberately lit next to Westfield Albany mall. Onlookers believe police were questioning two youths that the witness said had arrived by the same bus. The mall was briefly excavated.
Black Caps century maker Hamish Rutherford talks to the media after his debut 171 runs against England in Dunedin.
Wagner picked up opener Alastair Cook's wicket with what he described as a wide half-tracker. Cook whacked it straight to Hamish Rutherford, though. The next delivery was a beauty and definitely part of the plan. If you are going to get Kevin Pietersen's wicket, then your best chance is to strike early. Wagner speared in a full delivery which swung and trapped the classy right-hander in front for a first-ball duck.
Over 2,000 spectators flocked into Gorge Road Jump Park for the second Red Bull Roast It competition. Forty-five riders from around the globe all vied for the top honours, treating the crowd to a BMX dirt-riding spectacle. Check out the action from the event!